An Imperial Reunion
by Norma Louise
Summary: Hazel's life on Earth is over. But there is a familiar face waiting for her in the after life..


**Authors note: This is my take on happens when Hazel Grace dies. A lot of people have probably already done this, but I absolutely love "The Fault in Our Stars", so I had to try!**

An imperial reunion

I never really given much thought on when I was going to die. Of course I knew _how_ , everybody knew how, but _when,_ that was the big question. No doctors had given me answer, maybe they couldn't, or maybe they wouldn't, but anyway, no one had answered my question when I asked how much time I had left, some of them had just smiled and ignored the question, and some had said: ,,it's not how much time you have left, it's _what_ you make of the time." And strangely enough I understood what they meant.

I was sure I was going to die at the age of thirteen- before The Miracle, but I survived. And then, at the age of sixteen I again thought I was going to die. Not from my cancer, but from a broken heart. The loss of Augustus Waters felt like my heart was being ripped from my body and crushed. But I survived again. In time you learn to live without the person you love. It hurts, yes, but you learn to accept the fact, that the person is gone and never coming back again.

I started to function again, I watched my mom finish her school, and become a social worker, and I've never been so proud in my entire life. I continued to study, and go to lectures about this and that. I returned to my old life. Going to school, watching "Top Model", and read. I regularly visited Gus' grave, but I never spoke to him. Not once. I know that all the books about grief and loss constantly suggest to talk to the grave", but I couldn't get my myself to talk to a tombstone. That was one reason. The other reason was, that I was one hundredth percent sure that he wasn't "there". Augustus Waters were _not_ present at his own grave, he had moved on. I wasn't sure _where_ he was, but I knew that he wasn't there when I visited his grave.

By the end of my eighteenth year, shortly before my nineteenths birthday, my health took a turn for the worse. That itself wasn't something new, I experienced it many, many times, but this time it was slightly different. Mainly because it all happened so fast. One day I was at the mall with Kaitlyn, and the next day I was in bed with a very bad pneumonia. My parents wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused, and told them that I wanted to stay at home. They never left my bedside. Day and night they were beside me. I don't think any of them got much sleep, despite the fact that I told them to. When they finally left my room, they were on the phone, talking to several relatives. I didn't hear much of the conversations, I mostly slept, but when I was awake, I heard snatches: ,,She's very ill," and: ,,No, she's not at the hospital, she doesn't want to go, and we respect that." Or: "the doctor is not sure she will pull through this time." I'm sure my mom didn't mean for me to hear it, but she didn't have to sugar coat it. I could feel my body give up. My lungs were weaker than ever, and I couldn't eat. I just wanted to sleep.

By the night of my fourteenth "she's still fighting" day, both of my parents were asleep by my bedside. I slowly turned my head- it hurted to move-, and looked at them. God, I loved them. So much. It wasn't fair of me to go and leave them behind like this, but I knew I had to let them go; otherwise I would never be able to leave. I have always been opposed by people who said you can _feel_ when it's time to go, (and by "go" they simply meant "die", but apparently that was too hard to say). But now I had to agree with them. I could _feel_ it. In every inch of my body I could feel that my time was up. Like a book closing I could feel the breath of life leave my body and I reached out for my mom's hand. I gently squeezed it, and then I took my dad's hand. My lovely dad who couldn't hold back tears when he looked at me. Who always told me he was proud of me for no damn reason. I knew that loosing me would be hard, but I also knew that they would stay together and support each other.

I held their hands in mine for a while and whispered: ,,you guys mean the world to me. I'm sorry I have to leave you behind, but I'm sure we'll meet again someday. You will always be my parents, and I will always be with you. Forever."

I let go of their hands, took the deepest breath my lungs would allow, and then I closed my eyes.

There were a multitude of colors and voices who all said my name at the same time.

,,Hazel!" I heard my mom's voice.

,,Hazel!" my dad yelled, sobbing.

,,Hazel!" that was Kaitlyn's voice.

,,Hazel!" Isaac spoke my name quietly.

I flew away from their voices, I felt like my entire body was spinning, and my parents and friends kept saying my name over and over again, but I couldn't respond to them, instead their voices became more and more distant, like far away whispers.

,,Hazel." My mom's voice dwindled to nothing.

,,Hazel." My dad was no longer crying; instead his voice seemed to disappear.

,,Haz…" was all I heard when Kaitlyn called out to me, and I didn't hear Isaac calling at all, instead I heard a much louder and clearer voice saying:

,,Hazel?" only this time the voice didn't call out to me or yelled, this voice was _asking_ for me.

,,Hazel? Hazel Grace?"

,,Yeah?" I found out I could respond to that voice.

,,You awake?"

,,I think so."

,,Then open your eyes."

,,I can't. I'm dead." I protested. It was downright silly of the person to assume I could open my eyes. A dead person can't see anything. Surely the person knew that?!

,,I assure you, you can open your eyes, Hazel Grace."

,,But I'm dead. I'm supposed to be dead." I tried to explain, and to my surprise the person laughed.

,,Are you laughing at me?" I asked insulted.

,,Yes."

,,Why?"

,,Because you are being stubborn."

,,Am not."

,,Are too. Come on, Hazel, open your eyes. It's okay, I promise."

I took a deep breath and forced my eyelids up. Everything was white. The carpet. The ceiling. Everything. I blinked a few times, and the image became much sharper and brighter.

,,Where am I?"

,,Good question. You imagined this room; it all sprung from _your_ thoughts, so maybe you could call this a middle station, or a waiting room." Said the voice.

,,Waiting room, huh? Like a hospital."

,,You could say that," answered the voice.

I wondered why my imagination had come up with a waiting room, when it suddenly occurred to me that I recognized the voice, even though it had been almost two years since I heard it last time. I turned my head, and there he was. Leaning against a pillar with his usual crooked smile. Wearing the same suit he had been wearing in Amsterdam.

,,Augustus?" I asked stupidly.

,,Hello, Hazel Grace. Nice to finally see you again."

,,I-I don't understand."

,,What's not to understand?" he asked simply. ,,You died, sorry about that by the way, and I got a message who told me you were on your way."

,,A message from who exactly?"

,,A snow-white dove," he teased. ,,I don't really know, I suddenly just had a feeling I should be in this room, and five seconds later you appeared."

,,Appeared?"

,,Yeah, your trip was a bit rough, I had to guide you the last bit of way."

,,So it _was_ your voice I heard!"

,,Of course it was." He said and reached his hand out to me. I took it and got up from the white bed.

He pulled me in in a tight embrace and said: ,,You have no idea how much I missed you. Every day without felt like a thousand years."

I wrapped my arms around his neck. ,,I've missed you too. I have been thinking about you every single day."

,,I know. I could feel your thoughts."

I couldn't bear it another second. I threw my arms around him and kissed him desperately, and he kissed me back just as passionate.

It was just then I realized that I wasn't out of breath. Not even a little bit. And there were no tubes to tickle my nostrils any more. I broke the kiss in surprise and couldn't help but laugh to myself.

,,What is it?" asked Gus, his voice a little deeper than usual.

,,There are no tubes in my nose any more. And…" I looked around. ,,my oxygen tank is gone!"

,,of course it is." Said Augustus and cupped my face gently.

,,And your leg!" I continued and squeezed his knee. ,,It's… Real!"

Now it was Augustus' turn to laugh, and I couldn't stop taking deep breaths, filling my lungs completely with air. Gus smiled gently at me.

,,How are you feeling?"

,,Alive," I said. ,,does that sound crazy?"

,,Not at all, Hazel Grace, not at all."

I smiled at him, and he held out his hand toward me

,,Come with me,"

,,Where are we going?"

,,Hmm, I don't know, how about… To heavenly Amsterdam?"

,,Only if there's champagne."

,,Plenty of champagne, promise."

,,Good," I said and took his hand.

And together we left the Waiting Room, with no tubes, no oxygen tank, no crutch, no fake leg, and first of all: no cancer. We were healed. We were together. And dead could never tear us apart again….

The End.


End file.
